Make Straight and Curved Arrows in Photoshop (Line Tool + Path Editing)
Photoshop’s Line Tool can draw arrows instantly, and because they’re shape paths, you can curve them with simple point edits. This tutorial shows how to set arrowhead options, customize thickness and colors, and reshape the arrow into a curve using path tools.
Step-by-step instructions
Create a new document
Go to File → New and create a canvas to your preferred size.
Click Create.
Draw a straight arrow with the Line Tool
In the toolbar, click and hold the Rectangle Tool and choose Line Tool.
In the options bar (gear/additional shape options), enable Arrowheads and check Start and End.
Adjust Arrowhead Width: 100 px; Length: 100 px; Concavity: 50% (example settings).
Set Stroke color and weight (thickness), and set Fill color as desired.
Click‑drag on canvas to draw the arrow.
Make a single‑ended arrow (optional)
With the Line Tool selected, open the arrowhead options again.
Check only Start or only End to keep one arrowhead.
Set Concavity to 0% for a classic point and draw the arrow.
Curve the arrow by editing its path
Ensure the arrow layer is a Shape layer (vector path).
Select the Pen Tool (P) and add anchor points near where you want the curve.
Choose the Convert Point Tool (nested under Pen Tool) and drag on points to pull out handles and create curves.
Hold Ctrl (Cmd) with the Direct Selection Tool (white arrow) to move points and refine the curve, including the tip/end for the final shape.
